Urgent warning for ‘Doomsday wreck’ at bottom of Thames: SS Richard Montgomery deteriorating faster than feared – and could trigger tsunami towards London if it explodes, report warns
A ‘doomsday wreck’ carrying 1,400 tonnes of World War II explosives is collapsing and threatening to trigger a tsunami in the Thames, new research into the ship has revealed.
The SS Richard Montgomery sank in the Thames Estuary in August 1944, coming to rest in a depth of approximately 45 feet (14 m), about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) from Sheerness, Kent.
Her masts still protrude above the waterline and there are plans to remove them to prevent them falling onto the wreck and causing an explosion.
But now a new survey of the ship has revealed ‘worrying’ signs of decay in the ship’s hull, all of which were observed in the year since the last survey.
The new report warns that ‘the deck space at hold three on the port side appears to have collapsed. This appears to be recent’.
A ‘Doomsday wreck’ laden with 1,400 tonnes of World War II explosives is collapsing, a sobering new investigation of the ship has revealed, threatening the Thames with a tsunami
The SS Richard Montgomery sank in the Thames Estuary in August 1944, coming to rest at a depth of approximately 49 feet, about two and a half miles from Sheerness, Kent
Meanwhile, it appears that the ‘entire forward part of the wreck’, which lies in two halves on the bottom, has ‘an increase in slope’ of 10 to 15 cm.
This increasing eastward tilt, the report states, raises “potential concerns” that the wreck “may be undermined as supporting sediment erodes away.”
The investigation also found that a crack in the second cargo hold had widened by 5cm and lengthened by 37cm in a year and had ‘significantly warped’ further down.
This gives “the impression that the forward part of the wreck is splitting in two,” the study said, causing the deck above to collapse by up to 20cm in a single year.
Her masts still protrude above the waterline and there are plans to remove them to prevent them falling onto the wreck and causing an explosion.
The SS Richard Montgomery sank off the Medway coast in Kent and has been on the seabed for almost 80 years
What makes matters worse is that the rear of the ship is “just like the forward section… and could potentially break in two halfway along its length.”
Here, the report said, a six-metre-long section of deck had collapsed more than half a metre in one year.
These revelations were made in the 2023 research report, which was published last week.
In a statement, the Department for Transport said its priority was to “ensure the safety of the public and mitigate any risk posed by the SS Richard Montgomery”.
The report continues: ‘Experts have conducted significant research into the wreck and based on their findings we are revising our original timetable for removing the masts as safely as possible.
The ‘entire forward portion of the wreck’, which lies in two halves on the bottom, ‘appears to have an increase in slope’ of 10 to 15 cm
In a statement, the Department for Transport said its priority was to “ensure the safety of the public and mitigate any risk posed by the SS Richard Montgomery”.
The investigation found that a crack along the second cargo hold had widened by 5cm and lengthened by 37cm in a year, and had “considerably warped” further down. This “gives the impression that the forward portion of the wreck is splitting in two,” the investigation noted, causing the deck above to collapse by up to 20cm in a year.
“The goal is to remove the masts as quickly as possible, if there is a safe and effective operational methodology for doing so.”
Rich Lehmann, chairman of the environment committee at Swale Borough Council, which includes Sheerness, said the local authority was closely monitoring the situation.
He said: ‘The condition of the wreck is worrying and the council is closely monitoring the situation.
‘Officers are in consultation with the Department for Transport, which manages the wreck, and other relevant agencies to ensure all necessary precautions are taken to mitigate any potential risks.
“The safety of our community and the protection of our marine environment remain our top priorities.”
Rich Lehmann, chairman of the environment committee at Swale Borough Council, which includes Sheerness, said the local authority was keeping a close eye on the
The SS Richard Montgomery was an American ship that transported ammunition for the Allies in World War II
She ran aground on a sandbank and broke her back as the tide went out, sinking before all her cargo could be salvaged. It is feared that she still has enough explosive power to unleash a tidal wave in the Thames, earning her the nickname ‘Doomsday wreck’.
He continued: ‘The SS Richard Montgomery is an integral part of Sheerness’ history and holds a special place in the hearts of our residents.
‘All masts and artefacts removed from the wreck should rightly be brought to Sheppey and in particular Sheerness to preserve this important chapter in our island’s history.
“The wreck is not only a historical landmark, but also a beloved symbol of our community’s resilience and heritage.”
The SS Richard Montgomery was an American ship that transported ammunition for the Allies during World War II.
As the tide went out, the ship ran aground on a sandbank and broke her back. The ship sank before all of her cargo could be salvaged.
It is feared that she still has enough explosive power to cause a tidal wave in the Thames, earning her the nickname ‘Doomsday wreck’.
What is the SS Montgomery and why is it dangerous?
The SS Richard Montgomery was an American Liberty ship built in 1943 to transport cargo across the Atlantic Ocean
The 7,200-ton vessel crossed the Atlantic safely and without incident on convoy HX-301 and was ordered to anchor at Sheerness.
The ship was carrying approximately 7,000 tons of ammunition and was due to sail to Cherbourg to unload its cargo.
However, on 20 August 1944, the Montgomery dragged anchor and ran aground on a sandbank approximately 250 yards (230 m) from the Medway Approach Channel.
The SS Richard Montgomery, pictured, sank off the coast of Kent in 1944 carrying 7,000 tons of munitions being shipped to Cherbourg for an invasion of Europe.
The SS Richard Montgomery weighed anchor and ran aground on a sandbar on August 20, 1944 before her hull ruptured and began to flood
A major salvage operation was launched to offload the ship’s deadly cargo, but within 24 hours cracks began to appear in the hull and the forward sections began to flood.
On September 25, the salvage operation had to be halted because the entire ship was flooded.
The Richard Montgomery was one of 2,700 Liberty ships built during the war.